Ukraine leaders lay flowers at monument to Hrushevsky

As Ukraine marks Unity Day on January 22, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy laid flowers at the monument to the outstanding statesman, President of the Ukrainian People's Republic Mykhailo Hrushevsky.

Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak also participated in the flower-laying ceremony, according to the presidential press service.

"On January 22, 1919, a solemn event on Sofiyska Square in Kyiv brought together tens of thousands of Ukrainians. The proclamation of the Unification Act is an important page in the history of statehood, and now, in more than a century, we understand that the unity of Ukraine is not only about history, it is about our present and future," Zelenskyy said in his address.

He stressed that the unity of the Ukrainian people is needed so that the history of a modern independent Ukraine is never interrupted again.

"This is the basis of our success, the key to a strong and independent state and the restoration of its territorial integrity. This is a fundamental value for us. Let us fulfil our duty to future generations – let us preserve the independence and unity of Ukraine," Zelenskyy said.

Ukraine marks Unity Day on January 22. This holiday is celebrated annually on the day when the Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR) and the West Ukrainian People's Republic (WUPR) signed the Unification Act in 1919.